Remember when many were keeping an eye on Erik Karlsson after he was seemingly cramping up after logging more than 40 minutes in an OT contest against the Boston Bruins?
It’s possible he was also dealing with that sort of ailment, but he earned some “hockey tough” kudos on Sunday after word surfaced that the Ottawa Senators defenseman was dealing with hairline fractures in his left heel through the series.
Sportsnet’s Jason York refers to the issue as “two small fractures” while ESPN’s Joe McDonald went into specifics, noting that Karlsson explains that the injury happened on March 28 (and was why he missed some games late in the season).
There’s some optimism as the Senators ready for the New York Rangers, at least according to Karlsson.
Karlsson playing with two hairline fractures: “I’ve been playing on shots [injections] and by Thursday it should be back to normal."
— Joe McDonald (@JoeyMacHockey) April 23, 2017
Hmm.
Either way, that’s impressive stuff from the Senators defenseman, and the sort of information that usually only surfaces after a team has been eliminated. We’ll see if he’s hindered by such issues as the playoffs go along.
Erik Karlsson told reporters that he had been playing with two hairline fractures in his heel. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/tmxRLqSg1e
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 24, 2017